There have been presently used a number of coating resin compositions for metal plates, such as alkyd resin, vinyl resin and silicone resin coatings which are used as solvent type coatings, aqueous dispersion coatings or powder coatings. However, these coatings do not necessarily satisfy the required properties, and a focus on one property leads to deficiency in another property, thereby posing restriction on the practical use.
Due to the insufficient performance of the conventional solvent type coatings, powder coatings are used for painting the roof and side surfaces of a refrigerator, which require high processability, hardness, alkali resistance, gasket resistance and stain resistance. The powder coatings show superior stain resistance. On the other hand, they are poor in processability and coating speed which is considerably low in comparison with solvent type coatings, so that production costs become high. addition, the powder coatings result in orange peel. The resins having superior processability have insufficient weatherability, and a post coating is applied to most of the outdoor home appliances.
For example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 57746/1982 and 108081/1988 aim at achieving both the hardness and processability, but sufficient effects have not been attained. Japanese Patent Publication No. 21830/1987 is directed to coating resin compositions based mainly on terephthalic acid and alkylene glycol. While rather superior processability can be obtained, hardness is not sufficient and alkali resistance, weatherability and gasket resistance are also insufficient. Japanese Patent Publication No. 34754/1986 is also directed to coating resin compositions based mainly on terephthalic acid and alkylene glycol. They are insufficient in processability, alkali resistance and weatherability. Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2536/1978 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 56375/1990 propose introduction of a sulfonic acid metal salt for improving pigment dispersion property. Such introduction results in a coating film superior in gloss and vividness, but poor in weatherability, alkali resistance and resistance to staining by foodstuffs.
When a superior processability is desired for a polyester resin to be used for coating metal plates, the glass transition temperature generally needs to be set for not more than 40.degree. C. At this glass transition temperature, however, the coating film becomes markedly soft, and high alkali resistance, gasket resistance, weatherability and resistance to staining by food cannot be achieved. On the other hand, superior hardness, alkali resistance, gasket resistance, weatherability and resistance to staining by food result in insufficient processability.
Epoxy resin coatings conventionally used as a primer for building materials such as roofing materials and wall materials, outdoor containers such as storerooms and radiator units, and refrigerator, all of which require hardness, superior boiling water resistance and corrosion resistance, beautiful coating film appearance and excellent scratch property, have superior adhesion, scratch property, boiling water resistance, corrosion resistance and solvent resistance, whereas they have extremely inferior processability. High molecular polyesters are used as a top coating and a primer coating for VTR, indoor containers and home appliances which require high processability. The high molecular polyester resin coating is superior in processability, hardness, boiling water resistance, corrosion resistance, acid resistance and Erichsen adhesion, but insufficient in scratch property.
For example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 167767/1981 and 217471/1991, superior processability, hardness, boiling water resistance, corrosion resistance, acid resistance and Erichsen adhesion were achieved. Yet, scratch property is poor in both publications to the extent that they are seldom used in the field where epoxy resins are used, such as for outdoor uses, thus leaving a demand for early resolution of the problems from the industrial circles.